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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26292424">without your help I have no hope to survive, now I know that sounds pathetic</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fernfuneral/pseuds/fernfuneral'>fernfuneral</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hunt Down The Freeman (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Hurt/Comfort, Introspection, No Beta we die like Mitch, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Strictly Platonic Blood Drinking, adam hungry nick has blood idk man, adam is a weird fucked up xen alien who's basically just a leech i cant explain further, i'm so sorry anyone who has my fic notifs on from mtiwie, on nick's part</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:20:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,492</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26292424</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fernfuneral/pseuds/fernfuneral</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick was worried about Adam. </p>
<p>He wouldn’t say it out loud. To do so was all too vulnerable. Admitting that he was worried meant admitting that he thought about the other.<br/>--</p>
<p>adam is a hungry little leech. needs some blood. nick happens to have said blood</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nick (Hunt Down The Freeman)/Adam (Hunt Down The Freeman)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>without your help I have no hope to survive, now I know that sounds pathetic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixAccio/gifts">PhoenixAccio</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nick was worried about Adam. </p>
<p>He wouldn’t say it out loud. To do so was all too vulnerable, too much of an insight into how he felt about the other. Admitting that he was worried meant admitting that he thought about Adam. That his mind lingered on the other when it was late and he was thinking about the grey pallor of his skin, the tired droop of his eyes, that his gut twisted with fear for the other, for what he was doing to himself.</p>
<p>Privately, Nick entertained the idea of confronting him. Of asking him what was wrong, why he looked as if he was decaying. But he knew he never would. They weren’t close enough to each other, to care. For Nick’s worry to be justified.</p>
<p>But still, it persisted.</p>
<p>That dull apprehension when he saw Adam fumble with his gun, watched his movements get slower. Nick wouldn’t say anything, but he’d watch, and he’d worry.</p>
<p>And then the choice of doing nothing was taken from him.</p>
<p>The day started normally. Looking back on it, once it was all over, Nick wouldn’t be able to help but think it would have been more fitting if it had begun strangely to match its strange end; but no matter how much he’d deliberate it, the day had been entirely typical. Adam had been as elusive as always, Mitch as standoff-ish, and Nick had just hoped that it would pass quickly. Which it did, until it didn’t.</p>
<p>Which brought Nick to where he was, poised outside the steel door to Adam’s bunk after hearing a strange clatter. He’d almost ignored it, assumed it was just Adam being Adam, but something in him pushed for investigation, and Nick had always been one to trust his gut.</p>
<p>He opened the door slowly, flicking on the light as he stepped inside. At first, it seemed as if nothing was wrong, but he proceeded to lower his gaze to the ground and was greeted by Adam, collapsed on the floor, palm pressed tight over his mouth.</p>
<p>“Adam?” Nick’s voice was wary, trepidation staying his hand. “You alright?”</p>
<p>The other shook his head, turning it as far away from Nick as he could from his position on the floor, and Nick could have sworn, for a split second, that Adam’s eyes were glowing. He spoke, voice strained and muffled by his palm. “Go away Nick. I don’t want you to be here. Dangerous.”</p>
<p>Worry panged in Nick’s chest, and he knelt slowly next to the other. “It’s okay.” He stretched his hand out quietly, trying to place it on the other’s arm, but Adam jerked away, making a low noise in the back of his throat. “C’mon, just show me what’s wrong.”</p>
<p>Adam shook his head again, almost frantically, and muttered something that sounded like thirsty, although Nick couldn’t be sure. </p>
<p>“Adam, it’ll be okay. Whatever you’re worrying about won’t happen. I just want to help.”</p>
<p>“No- ‘s dangerous. I could hurt you. Don’t want to hurt you.”</p>
<p>He paused, hand tightening across his mouth, and Nick too the opportunity to speak.</p>
<p>“You won’t hurt me, and even if you tried I could protect myself. I’m not helpless.” He pressed his palm to Adam’s shoulder, felt the other lean into it. “What’s behind your hand, Adam?”</p>
<p>Adam looked at Nick, gaze searching, and his expression was unreadable. Something about his eyes was off, but Nick couldn’t pinpoint what. Maybe it was the pupils. The way the light reflected off them, dull and glassy. Apparently whatever Adam saw in Nick’s face was enough, though, and his hand slowly unclasped from his face, shakily lowering.</p>
<p>Nick held himself still, fighting the instinctual urge to run as Adam revealed his mouth. His teeth had lengthened, pointed and needle-sharp, and they almost seemed to slide from the shallow skin of cheeks, a deadly ring of teeth shifting slowly. Adam himself was gaunt, desperation evident on his face, and it seemed he couldn’t quite shut his mouth. A part of Nick thought he should be disgusted, but he was just intrigued. </p>
<p>“Adam- What… what are you?” He reached out slowly, hand lingering over Adam’s teeth, but not touching. The other shook his head, breathing heavily.</p>
<p>“I need to eat. I can live off of your food for a while but I’m hungry.” He met Nick’s eyes, wrapping his hand around Nick’s arm and pulling it down. “But I can’t. I don’t- didn’t want to show you what I was because you would hate me.”</p>
<p>Adam had been starving himself, because he was scared Mitchell and Nick would hate him. Because he thought he was something to be hated. Guilt sat low in Nick’s chest as he let Adam press his fingers to his pulse. He should have noticed sooner. Said something, maybe. If only he’d gotten past the idea that he wasn’t close enough to Adam, had reached out instead of pulling away, Adam would be better off.</p>
<p>Nick made his decision. “How do you need to feed?”</p>
<p>“What?” Confusion saturated Adam’s voice, dripped from it.</p>
<p>“I can help, just tell me how. Do you need my blood?” Adam nodded, slowly, as if he couldn’t quite believe Nick was humoring him. “Right. Okay. I can work with this.”</p>
<p>Nick turned, settling back against Adam’s bed, pressing their legs together. His hand rose to his scarf and he loosened it, pulling it off from where it sat around his neck so that he could expose his skin for Adam.</p>
<p>“Take what you need.”</p>
<p>Adam lifted his hand slowly, almost reverently, to touch the bare expanse of Nick’s neck, and he repressed a shiver at the cool touch of the other’s fingers. He shifted, slowly moving to sit closer to Nick and positioned his face over the other’s neck. His lips barely brushed Nick’s skin, hand planted on the other’s hip, and he paused, momentarily.</p>
<p>“Are you sure?” The words were whispered, barely audible against the rush of blood pounding in Nick’s head, and it took all of his concentration just to nod. Adam, this close, was almost unbearable.</p>
<p>Nick would not pretend that he didn’t, unfortunately, find Adam handsome. He was attractive, and could be desirable, in his own skewed way. Nick had never imagined himself acting on that attraction, though. He forcibly reminded himself that this wasn’t acting on any type of attraction. He was giving Adam something he needed to survive, nothing more. It was like giving blood for a transfusion.</p>
<p>He felt Adam bite him. It hurt, for a second, until it didn’t. It was surprisingly calm, sitting quietly and letting Adam drink his blood. He could feel it, as one feels gore leaving a wound, but it didn’t scare him. He trusted Adam to keep him safe. To refrain from gorging himself. Maybe he shouldn’t, he didn’t know Adam, not entirely, but he knew him well enough to feel safe. </p>
<p>Perhaps he was a bleeding heart. Mostly, he just wanted Adam to be alright.</p>
<p>It went slowly. Or, it felt like it went slowly. The minutes passed like they were sloughing through molasses before finally, finally, Adam pulled away, wiping a stray drop of Nick’s blood—and wasn’t that a concept—from his bottom lip. His face was flushed, and he already looked healthier, more human. Nick felt a bit woozy, which he guessed was to be expected, with the blood loss.</p>
<p>He slumped against Adam, letting the other bear his weight, shutting his eyes against the rush of his head. </p>
<p>“Got wh’t you need?” His words were slurring, he noticed. That surely meant well.</p>
<p>“Can I kiss you?” It felt like Nick had been dunked in ice water. He may not have been fully awake before, but he was now. Nick pushed himself up, staring at Adam, who looked just as surprised at his own words.</p>
<p>Nick tried to formulate a sentence, fruitlessly, for a moment, before nodding. His eyes locked onto Adam’s, a silent conversation passing between them, before they both moved in simultaneously. Their lips met quietly, without ceremony, and Nick leaned into it. It was chaste, nothing more than a simple kiss, but it felt like a revelation.</p>
<p>Adam’s lips tasted like blood. Nick wrapped his hand around Adam’s jaw, kissing him once more, before pulling back.</p>
<p>“I think I should sleep, maybe eat something. We can-“ He leaned his forehead against Adam’s, eyes shuttering closed. “can talk about this later.”</p>
<p>Adam nodded, slowly, wide-eyed and confused as if he was still having trouble believing that what was happening was real. Nick ran a hand through Adam’s hair, leisurely, and sat back.</p>
<p>“Stay with me?”</p>
<p>“Yes.” He said it like a promise. With conviction. And Nick believed him. He knew that Adam was being sincere.</p>
<p>They settled onto Adam’s bed, together, and he let his head rest on the other’s chest, listening to the irregular beat of Adam’s heart.</p>
<p>Simple. Being with Adam was simple.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>PLEASENFJKVBKJFDSV I WROTE THIS FOR A FRIEND IN LIKE 2 HOURS SO IT SUCKSNJBNDKFN anywayz. leech adam. yea.</p>
<p>title is from leech boy by crywank</p></blockquote></div></div>
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